Tia Mowry Lets Daughter Cairo See ‘There Are Days When Mommy Is Sad’ After Her Divorce from Cory Hardrict (Exclusive)

Tia Mowry is opening up about what post-divorce motherhood looks like for her.

The mom of two — who shares son Cree, 13, and daughter Cairo, 6, with ex-husband Cory Hardrict — spoke to PEOPLE at the premiere of her new WE tv series Tia Mowry: My Next Act about one of the most poignant moments from the first episode.

While reflecting on the sweet mother-daughter moment, in which Cairo gives Mowry, 46, a “worry doll” to help make her mom’s “worries go away,” the actress told PEOPLE, “The thing is as a mother, you kind of try to figure out if you should allow them to see your emotions, your ups and your downs.”

“And I’ve made the choice to move from an authentic place,” she said at the Hollywood premiere on Friday, Oct. 4. “And allow [Cairo] to see that there are days when Mommy is sad. And that’s okay.”

The Twitches actress also echoed an idea she expressed in the episode, stating that it’s as if the 6-year-old “feels my energy.”

“But I think what’s just so beautiful about children is just because they’re young, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t have a voice,” she explained. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t know what’s going on or they don’t know how to feel.”

Mowry also said she has given both Cairo and Cree “that space to express and just to be authentic.”

“And it’s not about covering up, you know, things,” she added. “And I think when you move in authenticity, there’s healing, there’s growth — and I’ve allowed my children to do that as well.”

Tia Mowry: My Next Act follows the titular actress as she “embarks on a fearless and fierce journey of self-discovery” following her divorce from Hardrict, 44, which was finalized in April 2023.

“My next act is all about growth,” she said at the show’s premiere. “All about just continuing to inspire. All about being in alignment with my thoughts and my behaviors. All about me. Moving forward, no longer looking behind. Just full of love and compassion toward myself.”

An official description of the show reads: “Tia was always part of a duo, first as a twin sister, then as a wife … now she’s on her own for the first time in her life. The struggle is real as Tia takes on dating again while juggling her acting career, businesses, and motherhood. Tia navigates her new normal, looks for love, and finds her happiness along the way with her village of larger-than-life friends and family!”

Shortly after her split from Hardrict — which she first announced on social media in October 2022 — Mowry opened up to PEOPLE about life as a single parent.

“I feel like, especially as a mom wearing so many different hats, I’m always in survival mode,” she told PEOPLE in November 2022.

“I’m always making sure everybody is okay, everybody’s alive, everybody’s healthy, everybody’s fed,” she added at the time. “And making sure everybody’s fine, they have no holes in their socks, et cetera.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

As for her own well-being, she explained, “It’s about learning how to be aware and present with myself, and tapping in and making sure I too am taken care of. [Because] how can you take care of other people if your cup isn’t filled?”

Tia Mowry: My Next Act premiered on WE tv on Oct. 4.